Showing posts with label war. Show all posts

Review: Dusk by Eve Edwards

Dusk

A love worth fighting for.

When Helen, a young hard-working nurse, meets aristocratic artist Sebastian, she doesn't expect to even like him, let alone fall in love. But against the troubled backdrop of wartime London, an unlikely but intense romance blossoms. And even the bloody trenches of the Somme, where they are both posted, cannot diminish their feelings for each other.

But Helen is concealing a secret and when a terrible crime is committed there are devastating consequences for them both.

When lives are being lost, can true love survive?

When I was younger I used to read a lot of war books. You may know the ones, often set in London with a young girl on the brink of adulthood living her life throughout the war. They may have been samey but I really enjoyed them as a young teenager. However, after a year so of devouring all of the ones my neighbour and Nan gave me, I found young adult books and I enjoyed them even more so the wartime books were totally forgotten. Then I got the email about this book and I asked for it even without knowing what it was about because it was by Eve Edwards who has written some of my favorite historical books ever and (under her pen name Julia Golding) some of my favorite fantasy books. Then I saw that it wa war... and YA and I was so unbelievably happy.

This book blew me away completely, it was everything that I hoped it would be and more. This is a book that is heartbreaking as much as romantic, a book that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think about it for long after you close the last page. A book about near misses between two people that live for eachother. Helen may not have been the most interesting character to follow, but she was true to life and her story was interesting, especially nearer the end. Seb had a for more gripping stiry for the most part, and the harrowing description of life in the trenches makes me wonder how Eve Edwards wrote it so descriptively and honestly. The amount of research that must have gone into making this book so authentic is amazing, I'm always astonished by the effort that historical authors go through.

The only fault I can find in this is that the non-linear time scale is a bit distracting and off-putting at times. I had to read back a couple of times to find out if I was in the past or present, this was a little bit annoying for me and I would liked the past to have been in a different font or something... still it wasn't a MASSIVE deal.

 Overall, Dusk was a gripping story that seemed so realistic and authentic. My heart broke at many places and I was gripped by Helen and Seb from page one... and my mother totally agreed!


Book released 6th June 2013 by Penguin
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review 
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Review: Insignia by S.J. Kincaid

InsigniaMore than anything, Tom Raines wants to be important, though his shadowy life is anything but that. For years, Tom’s drifted from casino to casino with his unlucky gambler of a dad, gaming for their survival. Keeping a roof over their heads depends on a careful combination of skill, luck, con artistry, and staying invisible. 

Then one day, Tom stops being invisible. Someone’s been watching his virtual-reality prowess, and he’s offered the incredible—a place at the Pentagonal Spire, an elite military academy. There, Tom’s instincts for combat will be put to the test, and if he passes, he’ll become a member of the Intrasolar Forces, helping to lead his country to victory in World War Three. Finally, he’ll be someone important: a superhuman war machine with the tech skills that every virtual-reality warrior dreams of. Life at the Spire holds everything that Tom’s always wanted—friends, the possibility of a girlfriend, and a life where his every action matters—but what will it cost him?


I have been in such a reading slump lately as I've read a few pretty average books and nothing has really completely grabbed me, thankfully Insignia has pulled me out of that slump! I loved it.


To start with, I wasn't completely convinced, the start wasn't slow paced but it didn't completely grab me and I started out feeling as though I was just getting into another good but average book, by the end I was gripped and could not put the book down. The pacing picked up pretty quickly and though it dipped at a few points (especially where the science/technology talk came up) it still kept me reading.


I loved the characters, to start with Tom is just a loner, a bit of a loser with a gambling father but by the end he is a young man with a group of friends and a strong resolve... oh yeah, and a computer in his brain. I loved Tom's friends, especially Vik who was absolutely hilarious (I'm not quoting because I read and ARC copy but there is a bit with a girl and a chat up line that had me rolling over in laughter), Wyatt and Yuri are both kind of 'broken' in their own way and I loved watching Tom's friendship fix them.


And the storyline... wow! I've seen it compared to books like The Hunger Games and Divergent but personally I see no similarities aside from the futurism, this book is totally unique and just what the book industry needs right now. I also can't see a set target audience, I loved it and I'm an eighteen year old that doesn't usually go for boos with 14 year old protagonists but I can also see it appealing to boys aged eleven to eighteen, definitely versatile.


Overall, Insignia brings something unique to the young adult market. It's jam-packed with action, humour and friendship and is a book that i would recommend to boys and girls, young and old.


Overall Rating: A-


Released July 2012 by Hot Key Books
Received for review from the publisher
**Copy reviewed is and ARC and so may be different to the finished version**
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Review: Stones for my Father by Trilby Kent

Corlie Roux’s farm life in South Africa is not easy: the Transvaal is beautiful, but it is also a harsh place where the heat can be so intense that the very raindrops sizzle. When her beloved father dies, she is left with a mother who is as devoted to her sons as she is cruel to her daughter. Despite this, Corlie finds solace in her friend, Sipho, and in Africa itself and in the stories she conjures for her brothers.
But Corlie’s world is about to vanish: the British are invading and driving Boer families like hers from their farms. Some escape into the bush to fight the enemy. The unlucky ones are rounded up and sent to internment camps.

Will Corlie’s resilience and devotion to her country sustain her through the suffering and squalor she finds in the camp at Kroonstad? That may depend on a soldier from faraway Canada and on inner resources Corlie never dreamed she had….


As a lover of historical fiction I knew that I had to read Stones for my Father when it was pitched to me and overall I liked the story. I loved how short this book was; (I managed to read it in a one single bath and I didn't come out all pruney and the water was still quite warm!) this also meant that the story was purely about Corlie's struggle meaning that even though I still learnt about the Boer war, I didn't have to try to follow any complicated politics or anything.


Corlie was a fantastic character with an honest voice. Whilst most of the time she seemed her age - twelve or thirteen, she also had times where we saw how the war and her mothers treatment had forced her to act like an adult. The character of Corlie's mum was well written and utterly unlikable, we're later given a backstory to why she dislikes Corlie but I still didn't really sympathise. I loved Byrne, the soldier who helps Corlie through brief appearances in the story, he gave Corlie a way to see the soldiers as people and show the reader both sides to the war. I also loved Gert, Corlie's funny and clever younger brother.


I felt that the narrative was okay, but nothing great and at times Kent seemed to slip into parts where she was explaining things too much and it bored me a little, there were times when things were thrown in the cover the plot holes or explain something foreign and it kind of threw the narrative off balance for a while. the pacing was okay as well, but I would have liked a little more confrontation as it went a little slow for me.


Overall, this book was enjoyable enough and had a fantastic group of characters and great description, however the writing wasn't something that I found particularly good and would maybe appeal to the target audience of young/preteens more than young adult.


Overall rating: C


Book released on March 22nd 2011 by Tundra books.
Book released from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Review: This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees

This is Not ForgivenessEveryone says that Caro is bad ...but Jamie can't help himself. He thinks of her night and day and can't believe that she wants to be his girlfriend. Gorgeous, impulsive and unconventional, she is totally different to all the other girls he knows. His sister, Martha, hates her. Jamie doesn't know why, but there's no way he's going to take any notice of her warnings to stay away from Caro. But as Jamie falls deeper and deeper under her spell, he realises there is more to Caro - much more. There are the times when she disappears and doesn't get in touch, the small scars on her wrists, her talk about revolutions and taking action, not to mention the rumours he hears about the other men in her life. And then always in the background there is Rob, Jamie's older brother, back from Afghanistan and traumatised after having his leg smashed to bits there. Jamie wants to help him, but Rob seems to be living in a world of his own and is increasingly difficult to reach. With Caro, the summer should have been perfect ...but that isn't how things work out in real life, and Jamie is going to find out the hard way.


I didn't know what to expect with this, I've read Celia Rees' historical books but this is something completely new from her and wow, I was blown away. A powerful start, an emotional ending and everything in the middle was heart-wrenching. 


I will start by saying that none of the characters are particularly likeable, Rob is a total... well he's a bit of a butt-hole, Jamie is naive and depends too much on other people and Caro is broken and selfish, but the characters are meant to be this way, this is a real life book an the draw is in the message which is delivered so fantastically and realistically.


This book gives a story on how war affects people, from the injured Rob to the revolutionary Caro, I don't want to give much away but this book talks about extreme views, the type of things that we do see on the news and gives us the background of the characters and why they do the things that they do. It was difficult to read at times, and not in agood way as I'm not the type of person that likes to read such depressing books HOWEVER this one really did get to me and I have spent the whole night thinking about it, mainly because of the story bu also because of Rees' fantastic writing.


At times the pacing was a little slow and there was a lot of confusing making it difficult to get through pats of this book, but it really picked up eventually.


Overall, a heart-wrenching, gripping, thrilling, emotional read. Despite some issues with pacing, this book has affected me in ways that so few books can. 


Overall Rating: A-


To be released February 2nd 2012 through Bloomsbury.
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Review: Far From the War by Jeffrey David Payne

Far From the WarEconomic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war. Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.

I really enjoyed this book, but not for the reasons that I expected to. I was expecting a romantic dystopian based around war, it isn't a dystopian because they aren't under the control of an extremist controlling government and it's pretty present day and the romance was there, but not until quite late in the book.


Nevertheless, I still loved reading this, it took a while to get into as the beginning just follows Esther as she goes about her every day life, but as soon as the war hits her the story picks up and I could not put this book down. I really liked the way that this book was unique and really stood out. There are so many books about somebody having to survive through a very difficult situation, but this is so real and possible. Throughout the book Esther is caught in the very center of a war, she loses her friends, she herself nearly dies, she watches people do the worst possible, most inhumane things. It's truly a book about how people can lose their humanity in severe situations.


As a character, Esther was fantastic. She starts out as a sassy by still quite naive girl and we see her develop to become a head strong survivor over the course of the story, her determination to get home is her driving point and without it I don't think that I would have liked the book half as much if I wasn't as determined for Esther to get home as she was herself.


I wished there had been more romance but at the same time, the lack of it made the book more about what was going on rather than it being a cheesy romance. I loved Matt and Esther though, the rate at which they came to care about each other felt as though it worked because of what was going on.


At times I struggled to keep going as at some points the book was very repetitive however when something did happen, it came with a bang. I enjoyed the writing though I don't it will appeal to younger YA readers and I'd recommend this book to older teens and adults.


Overall, a great book, despite a few pacing issues at times. A sassy lead character, a touch of romance and a lot of determination made this book one that i would recommend.


Overall rating: B


Book released September 17th. book recieved for review from the author.
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